I had the opportunity recently, with my wife, Maria, to hear the Head of the Australian Army speak on Leadership and Management, at a special lecture at the Australian Graduate School of Management.

He spoke from his 37 years experience in the army, as one who has held eleven different command posts, and, of course, from his experience as commander of the multi-national peace-keeping force in East Timor in 1999-2000.

Many people may be at the same time both leaders and managers, but the characteristics are quite distinct.

Management, as such, is the manipulation of structural power to produce outcomes.

Leadership, as such, is a function of interpersonal relations. It is inspirational and spiritual. At best it encapsulates the best of Australian values of courage, mateship, compassion and resilience.

General Cosgrove referred to these giftings in General Monash, the best commander on the Western Front in World War I. As manager, Monash looked at the resources. As leader he looked at the human tragedy faced by the multitude of service people who gave service and sacrifice. After that war, he superintend the demobilisation, and then devoted the rest of his life to the support of those who had given so much of themselves under his command.

He sees leadership as providing an environment for people to reach their full potential. The leader will seek to identify leaders. He will seek further to nurture them.

He spoke of team work. “A good team, well led, is awe-inspiring.”

Why write of this in a church paper? Because God is the Creator of all things, especially relationships. So what works in the secular, should have its place in the organisation of churches and among “the people of God”

Lindsay Johnstone

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